Heinz Reschke adds: "The Softpro team and many of our customers are excited that KT Tan is now our VP Sales in Singapore. He enjoys an outstanding reputation among our customers, prospects, partners and the financial industry as whole and has proven himself as a businessman with integrity. Nine years ago we have set together the Asian-Pacific subsidiary of the Softpro Group in Singapore. Now it is time to write the next chapters in our joint success story".
"I look forward to my new role as in Softpro's operation." states KT Tan. "We are ready for today's and tomorrows' challenges and will serve the banking industry with cutting edge signature solutions. We strive to continue to be the preferred partner for best-in-class in check fraud detection and prevention as well as delivering the best solutions for electronic signatures based on handwritten signatures"
Australasia is hungry to adopt new technologies
The Softpro Group is closely linked with its market in Asia and Australia. Companies in the Australasian region are very willing to adopt new technologies, perhaps much more than elsewhere in the world. Banks in that region have the reputation of spearheading product innovation and are dedicated to superior customer service. One of Softpro’s success stories is closely linked to the fact that Singapore and Malaysia are countries where innovation is a top priority: In 1996/97 one of the world’s first check truncation projects was set up there. Softpro lead with innovation by installing the first system for automatic signature verification at banks in the region.
In June 2008 Lum Chee Onn, Senior Vice President and Head of Information Technology Division of UOB Malaysia summed up his experience with Softpro as a partner for many years: "Softpro's commitment and professionalism is excellent. Given your company's size, I am most impressed by your ability to respond and deliver top notch product and services with superior quality. We have made the right decision in choosing your system that enabled United Overseas Bank to improve our overall business processes and operational efficiencies. Thank you for your support."
Several other countries in the world are now following the example of Singapore and Malaysia. Thailand intends to have a check truncation system up and running in early 2010. Softpro intends to assist the financial institutions in this major challenge.
New installations, new partners, new customers
Softpro is intensifying existing partnerships with system integrators in the region and intends to broaden its partner base in a sustainable manner. KT Tan is highly experienced in selecting the right contacts and has already started to screen several system integrators for collaboration. Companies intending to include check verification and/or e-Signing capabilities into their portfolio are welcome.
Paperless Signing and Automated Check Verification
Softpro is focusing on two market segments:
- Paperless Signing: An increasing number of inquiries in Softpro’s Singapore office show that lot of companies in Asia, Australia and New Zealand are getting very serious about “going green”. They seek a “green workflow” with less paper usage and trustworthy solutions for electronic signatures. Being recognized as a supplier for banks, Softpro in recent years, the company and their solutions now receive broad attention in other verticals as well with their E-Signing solution suite SignDoc. SignDoc runs in banking, insurance, telecom and retail in Europe, America and Africa so far. Softpro is now about to install a of the first-of-its-kind solutions for electronic account opening at a major financial institution in South-East Asia.
- Automated Check Verification: Check truncation opens the door to both efficient image processing, and at the same time eliminates traditional security features such as touch, smell, and feel of paper. Such image-based check transactions pose a threat with serious loss consequences. Check fraud crime is easy to commit with little downside risk to the perpetrator. Enhanced financial products, services and customer access as well as enabling technologies such as scanners, all increase the avenues of opportunity for fraud. Softpro addresses these challenges with a holistic solution called SignPlus, now successfully in production at leading financial institutions around the globe, and securing millions of transactions every day.
Softpro Asia Pacific at shows and conferences
Within the next months Softpro will present its solutions at several events in Asia. KT Tan may be met in New Dehli at Biometrics India from September 10-12 at the booth of Softpro partner Kores. On November 24 and 25 Softpro will exhibit at the inaugural trade show and conference for IT in finance MEFTEC in Singapore. This show is a spin-off of the very well established event, held annually in Bahrain in the first quarter where Softpro will exhibit again in 2010 from March 16-17. The participation at several other events is under review.
